


Another Shot

by roe87



Series: Steve/Bucky modern au's [8]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Art, First Meetings, Flashbacks, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Grumpy Bucky Barnes, Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Making Up, Meet-Cute, Misunderstandings, Nerd Bucky Barnes, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, SHIELD, SHIELD Agent Steve Rogers, Special Agent Steve Rogers, Undercover, Undercover Missions, meet ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87/pseuds/roe87
Summary: Steve meets a handsome man named Bucky, and asks him out for dinner.The only problem is, Steve is working undercover at the time...
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Steve/Bucky modern au's [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1350943
Comments: 18
Kudos: 200





	Another Shot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreadlockholiday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreadlockholiday/gifts).



> Just a lil oneshot, I hope you like it.
> 
> ~~~

Steve walked into the main gallery.

It was closed to the public today while the collection was organised, but Steve had flashed his badge at security to get inside.

He spotted Bucky at the far end of the room, directing two of the maintenance staff where to hang a large painting.

Steve didn't want to interrupt him while he was working but since Bucky wouldn't return Steve's calls, he had no choice. He walked over there, his shoes clicking across the hard marble floor.

Bucky glanced over his shoulder at Steve's approach then did a double take.

Steve smiled at him, an automatic reaction because he was so damn happy to see Bucky again.

Bucky said something quietly to his staff, then marched toward Steve to cut off his approach.

"You sure got some nerve showing up here," he hissed under his breath.

Steve stopped short, the smile fading from his face as he was met with a clearly pissed off Bucky.

"Look," Steve started, pitching his voice low, "you have every right to be mad at me, but I just want to talk to you. Please?"

Some of the anger left Bucky's face, though his dark brows bunched together in a mild frown. "I don't see how talking will change anything, Steve," he said, his voice catching on Steve's name.

Steve exhaled, searching Bucky's blue-grey eyes. "Maybe it won't," he admitted, "but I had to try."

* * * *

The first time Steve had met Bucky was a crisp morning in February, nearly two weeks ago.

Steve was working undercover to infiltrate an international art forging ring that had ties to arms dealing. The assignment was important, and Steve's C.O. believed they were closing in on the ring leader, but they needed more Intel. So Steve posed as a potential buyer and arranged to meet with the manager of a gallery in downtown. He wasn't a fan of undercover jobs but he did them when required.

After all, as Fury had said, Steve was the artist.

Steve wouldn't call himself an artist; he dabbled, that was all, but he'd studied art history and knew his stuff, so Fury had picked him to shadow suspect James Barnes, the gallery's current manager.

If Barnes wasn't in the ring himself, then it was possible his gallery either had been used or was going to be used without his knowledge to process art forgeries and launder the ring's money.

It was Steve's job to find out the truth and gather Intel.

Bucky (he'd told Steve to call him Bucky as soon as they shook hands) showed him around the VIP rooms of the gallery and its exquisite pieces of art, while Steve kept up his cover of Steve Smith: rich art enthusiast.

They chatted and (much to Steve's pleasant surprise) even flirted a little. Steve was flattered. Bucky was very handsome and effortlessly charming. He was almost up to Steve's height but Bucky kept dipping his chin and glancing up at Steve under his eyelashes with very seductive looks.

Steve would've loved nothing more than to press Bucky into the nearest wall and kiss him senseless, but he was undercover and he had to play this carefully.

When the tour of the pieces for sale was over (and really Steve would've loved to buy at least three of them for himself but he certainly couldn't afford to) he had to fib and make out like he hadn't found what he was looking for yet.

Bucky offered to show Steve some special pieces he had in storage. Steve wondered then if Bucky was involved in the ring after all. He could only smile and agree to the offer.

* * * *

Bucky took Steve to his office and shut the door.

"You've got thirty seconds," Bucky said, going over to his desk, "and then I'm calling security to escort you out."

"Uh, no need for the escort," Steve said. "If you want me to go, I'll leave without a fuss."

Bucky sat on the edge of his desk and fixed Steve with a firm look before raising his wrist to pointedly check his watch. "Twenty-four," he counted, "twenty-two..."

"Okay, look." Steve rubbed a hand over his chin. "I, um, I know I already tried to explain this over the phone to you but I swear, I'm not trying to excuse myself or anything. I know that it looks like I was only flirting with you to get information, but I was just doing my job, and I wanted you to know that..." Steve paused, wishing Bucky would look up at him. "I'm sorry that I had to lie to you."

* * * *

Bucky showed Steve upstairs, to a storage room the gallery used.

There were paintings and art pieces sitting out, ready to be moved, and plenty more boxed up securely.

"This where you keep everything?" Steve asked, fishing for Intel.

"Our on site storage," Bucky explained, gesturing around them. "We have a few pieces on rotation, and they hang out here when they're not on display. Other pieces go off to our restoration team."

"I see." Steve watched with interest as Bucky showed him to a wall of vertically stored paintings. "You don't restore them here?"

"No, it takes specialists, and we don't have the room." Bucky glanced at him with a smile, going through the paintings before he found what he wanted. "Here," he said, pulling the painting out on its runner to show Steve.

It was an oil painting of some flowers in an Impressionist style. The painting didn't look entirely finished, in Steve's opinion, though it took a certain eye to spot that.

Steve glanced at the lower corners of the canvas, looking for a signature. He couldn't see one, but that could mean it was a practise piece or a copy done by one of the artist's apprentices.

"Original?" he asked.

Bucky smiled knowingly. "Yes. Good eye. We've recently had this certified as a Monet."

"Monet, wow," Steve said. He didn't care for Monet himself, but plenty of people did and any piece of his would easily fetch millions.

"Practice piece?" Steve guessed.

Bucky nodded, sliding the painting away again. "That was our guess too. We're researching its story now, X-raying it for what's underneath. This is my favorite part of the job, playing detective."

"Oh, really." Steve laughed, amused. He watched Bucky go through the storage library and pull out another piece.

"Got the same for Cézanne and Degas right here. Any of these tickle your fancy?"

Steve's smile grew as he met Bucky's eyes and saw the twinkle of promise in them. "Yeah, I'd say so," he replied, gesturing at the Cézanne. "This one's pretty special."

"Sure is," Bucky agreed. "I already have a wait list for all these pieces, but..." He tilted his head to the side. "Maybe we could discuss bumping you up that wait list."

"I'd be open to that discussion," Steve said. What he needed most of all, was more time to feel Bucky out and gather Intel, see if he was involved in anything illegal or not.

If he wasn't, well, Steve would be relieved because he liked Bucky. He liked him a lot.

"I have to finish up with the new exhibit today," Bucky said, replacing the Cézanne. "But these pieces aren't going anywhere for now. We could meet for dinner tomorrow night?" He looked at Steve, giving him a tentative smile. "If that suits you?"

"Yes," Steve replied eagerly. "That would suit me fine."

* * * *

"Let me see some ID," Bucky demanded.

"Bucky, I already explained," Steve tried.

"I know what you said." Bucky held out his hand. "But seeing as everything else you told me was a lie, I want to see for myself. So show me some proof, or I won't believe you."

"Okay, okay." Steve pulled out his wallet with his SHIELD badge and ID, offering it out to Bucky. "Here. Just like I said."

Bucky took the wallet, eyeing Steve carefully before bringing the ID up to his face. He scrutinised it for a long moment, then closed it up and offered it back to Steve.

"So." Bucky exhaled on a sigh. "Your name is Steve, at least. Do you even _like_ art, Steve? Or was that all part of your act?"

"Yes, I like art." Steve smiled wryly. "That's why I was tasked with this assignment. But I may have over exaggerated my love of Cézanne, though."

Bucky's eyebrows flicked up in surprise. "So, what? You don't like Impressionism now?"

"Oh, I do," Steve replied, "but he isn't my favorite."

"Who is your favorite?" Bucky asked.

Steve gave him a smile. "I'd be happy to discuss this with you over dinner tonight."

Bucky frowned again, crossing his arms in front of him. "Why would you want to have dinner with me?"

"Because I like you," Steve said honestly. "And I thought we had a connection. It was just... unfortunate we had to meet while I was undercover."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Sure. And if I said yes? How do I know you're not going to ghost me again?"

Steve winced. "I'm sorry about that. We had fresh Intel on our suspects, and we had to move fast. The case took us out of state and held us up for several days."

"You stood me up." Bucky got up from his desk, started pacing the floor. "I waited two hours at that restaurant for you to show."

"I know, I'm sorry," Steve told him. "I wasn't cleared to talk to you until the suspects were in custody, and we'd eliminated you and your gallery from our investigation. I really wish it'd been different."

Bucky shook his head. "I don't like being stood up, Steve."

"Please," Steve said. "Let me make it up to you. Cards on the table this time, Bucky, you know who I am."

"Do I?" Bucky looked at him, searching Steve's eyes. "Do I know you?"

"Well, I'd like you to." Steve smiled, feeling a ray of hope bloom inside him. "If you want to, that is."

* * * *

"And... done!" Sam announced, closing his report and looking up with a grin. "The Alexander Pierce art ring is all sewn up."

Natasha looked up, smiling at him over her desk. "I finished my report on Pierce's arms ring ten minutes ago."

"Well, you type faster than I do." Sam stretched his arms with a grunt. "I need a coffee."

"Clint's on a coffee run," Natasha said, glancing over to the office door as someone walked in. It wasn't Clint, it was Steve. She broke into a smile. "Hey," she called out, making Sam swivel round in his seat to see who it was. "How'd it go?" she asked.

"Yeah," Sam laughed, "did he toss you out on your ass, or what?"

Steve smiled wryly. "Not exactly."

"So?" Sam said expectantly, looking up at Steve as he came and stood by their desks.

Natasha watched him too, but she could read Steve like a book and his smile had a smug look to it. "He said yes to dinner," she guessed.

Sam looked shocked as Steve nodded to confirm. "Yes," Steve said, "he's giving me another shot at dinner. Tonight."

"Better not blow this one, Rogers," Natasha told him.

"I won't." Steve smiled at her. "I have tonight off, so barring any national emergencies, I am going to dinner with Bucky, and I can't wait."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I am on [tumblr](http://jro616.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/jro616).


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